Discrete gravity feed merchandise advancement seats and assembly combinations

Abstract

Disclosed are discrete gravity feed merchandise-advancement seats for use on a shelf support. The seats have a width having two sides and a length, a merchandise-advancement mechanism retention element disposed on each side along the length, and a merchandise-advancement mechanism disposed in retention elements. A driver is disposed in combination with the seat. A guide channel on each side of the driver surrounds the two retention elements so that the driver can traverse the length of the seat, and provide vertical and horizontal stability to the driver. The seats may have attachment mechanisms on front and rear edges that attach to mating attachment mechanisms proximal the front and rear of the shelf support. Dividers cooperate with the seats to provide merchandise display channels. Attachment mechanisms disposed proximal the front and rear of the shelf support allow for adjustable lateral placement of the seats and dividers.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A discrete gravity feed merchandise advancement seat comprising a single longitudinal track, wherein said single longitudinal track is comprised of:
 a base comprising: a top, a bottom, a width having two sides, a length having two ends, and a pair of oppositely disposed merchandise advancement mechanism retention elements disposed on the top along at least a portion of the length; 
 a gravity feed merchandise-advancement mechanism having a surface configured to accept merchandise disposed in association with the merchandise advancement mechanism retention elements; and 
 at least one attachment element integral with the base, wherein the at least one attachment element is connected via a snap-fit connection with at least one complementary attachment element disposed on a shelf element selected from the group consisting of: a front stop, a front foot, a rear stop and a rear foot, wherein snap-fit connection is provided by attachment elements and complementary attachment elements selected from the group consisting of: (a) a plurality of snap-in teeth attachment elements disposed on the base that engages a plurality of acceptor complementary attachment elements disposed on the shelf element or disposed on a structure attached to the shelf element; (b) a C-shaped attachment element disposed on the base that engages a rod-like complementary attachment element disposed on the shelf element; and (c) a pair of locking flange attachment elements disposed on the base that matingly engage a pair of lock rod holder complementary attachment elements, wherein the snap-fit connection allows lateral movement of the base relative to the shelf element less than the width of the base; and 
 a first landing zone disposed proximal one end of the base comprising a solid plate that fits into the merchandise advancement mechanism retention element and a plurality of curved ribs disposed on the solid plate that allows merchandise to glide along a top surface of the plurality of curved ribs and onto the surface of the gravity feed merchandise-advancement mechanism. 
 
     
     
       2. The discrete gravity feed merchandise advancement seat according to  claim 1 , wherein the merchandise advancement mechanism retention elements are selected from the group consisting of respective first and second support bars, respective first and second base C-channels and any combinations thereof. 
     
     
       3. The discrete gravity feed merchandise advancement seat according to  claim 1 , wherein the gravity feed merchandise advancement mechanism is selected from a plurality of rollers, a gliding rib bed comprised of a plurality of gliding ribs, and any combinations thereof. 
     
     
       4. The discrete gravity feed merchandise advancement seat according to  claim 1 , wherein the at least one attachment element is attached to the at least one complementary connector element disposed on the front foot or on the rear foot. 
     
     
       5. The discrete gravity feed merchandise advancement seat according to  claim 1 , wherein one of the at least one attachment elements is disposed at each end of the length of the base. 
     
     
       6. The discrete gravity feed merchandise advancement seat according to  claim 5 , wherein the attachment elements are positioned so that the base is symmetrical along the length from one end to the other. 
     
     
       7. The discrete gravity feed merchandise advancement seat according to  claim 1 , further comprising a merchandise gravity driver disposed on the top of the discrete gravity feed merchandise advancement seat, wherein the gravity driver includes C-shaped guide channels comprised of an upper side disposed substantially parallel to lower offset portions that are connected by substantially vertical side walls, wherein the lower offset portion is shorter than the upper side and engages an undercut disposed along each side of the merchandise advancement mechanism retention elements. 
     
     
       8. The discrete gravity feed merchandise advancement seat according to  claim 7 , wherein the driver is comprised of:
 a driver deck having a top, a gridded bottom, a front edge, a rear edge and two sides; and 
 a merchandise guide disposed on the top of and above the driver deck, wherein the merchandise guide comprises a vertical container box that holds a weight therein and a cap that includes a front surface and a front bottom edge, wherein the front surface is disposed at an angle of between about 3 to about 10 degrees relative to the vertical container box and toward the rear edge, wherein the front bottom edge of the cap coincides with the front edge of the driver deck, and wherein the rear edge of the driver deck extends rearward of the vertical container box. 
 
     
     
       9. The discrete gravity feed merchandise advancement seat according to  claim 8 , wherein the offset portion is disposed along a portion of each of the guide channels. 
     
     
       10. The discrete gravity feed merchandise advancement seat according to  claim 1 , further comprising at least one divider, wherein the divider is attached to the base by an attachment selected from the group consisting of fixedly attached to the base, removably attached to the base and adjustably attached to the base. 
     
     
       11. The discrete gravity feed merchandise advancement seat according to  claim 10 , wherein the divider is removably attached to the base, wherein the discrete gravity feed merchandise advancement seat further comprises a divider receiving element comprised of at least one slot disposed on the top, and wherein the divider comprises at least one tab that mates with the at least one slot disposed on the top. 
     
     
       12. The discrete gravity feed merchandise advancement seat according to  claim 10 , wherein the divider is adjustably attached to the base, wherein the discrete gravity feed merchandise advancement seat further comprises a divider receiving element comprised of at least one slot disposed on the bottom, and wherein the divider comprises at least one foot-like element that laterally and adjustably mates with the at least one slot on the bottom. 
     
     
       13. The discrete gravity feed merchandise advancement seat according to  claim 1 , further comprising at least one opening through the base from the bottom to the top, wherein the at least one opening allows liquid to drain through the base. 
     
     
       14. The discrete gravity feed merchandise advancement seat according to  claim 1 , further comprising a locator integral with and proximal to at least one end of the length, wherein the locator allows correct placement of the gravity feed merchandise advancement seat in relation to the front foot and a stop protrusion integral with and proximal to at least one end of the length, wherein the stop protrusion serves to limit the forward and/or rearward movement of a merchandise gravity driver disposed on the top of the discrete gravity feed merchandise advancement seat. 
     
     
       15. The discrete gravity feed merchandise advancement seat according to  claim 14 , comprising a locator disposed at each end of the base, wherein two bases of two of said discrete gravity feed merchandise advancement seats are connected end-to-end using a seat connector, wherein the seat connector comprises:
 a connector base having a top, a bottom, a length with two ends and a width; 
 two transverse edges, wherein one transverse edge is disposed proximal each end; 
 a rod disposed between the two transvers edges; and 
 two sets of lock rod holders, wherein one each of the two sets of lock rod holders is disposed between a transverse edge and the rod, wherein each of the two transverse edges, the rod and each of the two sets of lock rod holders is disposed away from the connector base in the same direction, wherein each of the two transverse edges, each of the two sets of lock rod holders and the rod connects with the bottom of each of the two discrete gravity feed merchandise advancement seats, wherein the rod provides a transverse channel across the width of the connector on each side of the rod, and wherein each of the two transverse channels accepts the locator on one each of the two discrete gravity feed merchandise advancement seats. 
 
     
     
       16. The discrete gravity feed merchandise advancement seat according to  claim 1 , further comprising a second landing zone disposed proximal the other end of the base. 
     
     
       17. The discrete gravity feed merchandise advancement seat according to  claim 16 , further comprising an end divider, wherein the end divider comprises;
 a divider panel; 
 a plurality of bent edges; 
 a front leg; 
 and a rear leg, wherein each of the front leg and the rear leg includes a slot that accepts a push pin, and wherein each of the front leg and the rear leg is inserted into a space between a front foot and/or a rear foot and a landing zone. 
 
     
     
       18. The discrete gravity feed merchandise advancement seat according to  claim 1 , wherein the rod-like complementary attachment element is disposed in lock rod holders disposed on the at least one shelf element, and the lock rod holders matingly engage locking flanges disposed on the base. 
     
     
       19. The discrete gravity feed merchandise advancement seat according to  claim 1 , wherein attachment element and complementary element (c) further comprises an acceptor disposed on the base that engages spaced apart teeth disposed on a rod-like structure disposed on the shelf element or on a structure attached to the shelf element.